Product Review

Bellydance Hip-Hop: Liquid Fusion 2-DVD set blends belly dance with the standing forms of hip-hop, exploring the techniques and the aesthetics of both dance forms. Belly dance movement is highly-controlled and internal, while hip-hop brings to the mix an explosive external energy. Both belly dance and hip-hop share a strong emphasis on isolation. That makes them perfect ingredients for an organic, fun, and edgy fusion.

New York-based, trend-setting dance instructor and performer Anasma seamlessly integrates moves from two popular dance forms, belly dance and hip-hop, into a fluid, dynamic dance style, always explaining the original stylistic context of every move and the genre it represents.

Anasma breaks down the core dance vocabulary of belly dance and hip-hop, pointing out similarities and differences in the moves they share. She traces the origins of moves popular in Tribal Fusion belly dance which borrows much of its vocabulary and styling from hip-hop. Anasma provides original stylistic context for many Tribal Fusion elements such as popping, locking and strobing, hip-hop-influenced upper body moves like cobra chest circles and sidewinders, hip-hop-style body and arm waves, liquid-style arm patterns, zigzag side floats, and other moves.

Anasma builds every move and combination gradually, allowing you to experience the stylistic features that transform belly dance and hip-hop elements into fusion moves. This approach gives you tools for creating your own flavors of the belly dance - hip-hop blend.

Anasma's Bellydance Hip-Hop: Liquid Fusion 2-DVD set program consists of three main sections:

*Bellydance >> Hip-Hop - instruction and drills; Hip-Hop >> Bellydance - instruction and drills; Choreography and choreography drills

In the Bellydance >> Hip-Hop section Anasma explores belly dance core techniques and main movement trajectories, such as lines, circles, figure 8s and shimmies, and infuses them with hip-hop styling by adding the geometry of hip-hop moves and the spatial awareness of hip-hop.

In the Hip-Hop >> Bellydance section, Anasma breaks down hip-hop isolation techniques and explores such hip-hop subgenres as waving, liquid, popping, dimestopping & strobing, mannequin, tutting and gliding/floating, and shows you how they blend with the bellydance vocabulary.

For each type of belly dance and hip-hop movement, Anasma teaches a combination that shows you how to fuse each step with moves from the other dance form - for maximum impact. Anasma also provides extensive drills. You can do the drills within the instructional sections, or play all the hip-hop and all the bellydance fusion drills in a row for a non-stop practice and workout.

Finally, Anasma puts all the combinations together to create a choreographed belly dance-hip-hop fusion dance.

Anasma also performs two structured improvisations demonstrating how you can take the belly dance hip-hop fusion techniques presented in the program to a new level with storytelling.

A special section of Anasma's program offers a thorough warmup and strength-building workout.

Have fun discovering new ways to layer and mix hip-hop and bellydance. Explore and create!